Some of the best days out in Georgia cost nothing: museums with free admission, nature centers, wildlife refuges, covered bridges, battlefields and greenways. Pick a region below, or browse festivals, farmers markets and more.
Things To Do in Georgia
Free Stuff To Do
Free museums, nature centers, trails and historic sites in all 9 regions.
Festivals & Events
Festivals, fairs and seasonal events across the state.
Free Events
Free concerts, markets, parades and festivals, by region.
Farmers Markets
Local produce, pick-your-own farms and market days.
Shopping
Malls, outlets and historic downtown shopping.
Planetariums
Planetariums, observatories and stargazing.
Birding
Audubon chapters, birding trails and wildlife watching.
Videos
Drone and trail videos from around Georgia.
Free Things To Do by Region
Each region has a free indoor guide (museums, galleries, historic homes) and a free outdoor guide (parks, trails, lakes and refuges). A few favorites from each:
Metro Atlanta
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Monetary Museum, Marietta Fire Museum, Newman Wetlands Center, Davidson-Arabia Nature Preserve and the Big Creek Greenway.
NE Georgia Mountains
Elberton Granite Museum, Nora Mill Granary, Minnehaha Falls, Sawnee Mountain Preserve and the Richard B. Russell Dam visitor center.
Historic High Country
Harris Arts Center, Adairsville Rail Depot, Allatoona Pass Battlefield, the Resaca battlefield and Spring Creek Wetlands Preserve.
Coast & Islands
Mildred Huie Plantation Museum, the Folkston train depot, Savannah and Harris Neck national wildlife refuges and Colonial Park Cemetery.
Historic Heartland
Museum of Aviation, Lyndon House Arts Center, Dauset Trails Nature Center and the North Oconee River Greenway.
Presidential Pathways
National Infantry Museum, the Columbus Museum, the Columbus Riverwalk and Big Red Oak Creek Covered Bridge.
Classic South
Old Greene County Gaol, Phinizy Swamp Nature Park, Kettle Creek Revolutionary War Battlefield and Clarks Hill Lake.
Plantation Trace
Albany Museum of Art, Thomasville Center for the Arts, Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge and Coheelee Creek Covered Bridge.
Magnolia Midlands
Dublin-Laurens Museum, Lake Mayers, A. Randall Tuten Environmental Park and the Altamaha River boat landings.
Region photos: Lookout Mountain battlefield by James Pressley, Ocmulgee Mounds by Ken Lund, South Georgia cotton field by Jeffrey Hatcher, and General Coffee State Park by Michael Rivera, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA). Atlanta skyline, Brasstown Bald, Little White House and Augusta skyline via Wikimedia Commons (CC0). Tybee Island sunrise by Michael Sennello, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Looking for something specific this weekend? Check out free Georgia festivals and events.
Sources we checked
Facts in this guide were checked against the agencies and operators that run these places:
- Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites – historic sites and fees
- National Park Service in Georgia – national parks and battlefields
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service refuges – national wildlife refuges
- Explore Georgia – attractions and regions
Every venue on our 18 regional guides was checked against its own website or operator. When a place started charging admission, such as Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park’s new entrance fee, we kept it listed and said so plainly.
Spot something out of date? Email Contact@n-georgia.com and we’ll check it against the official source. Read how we research our guides.